Christmas Miracle
by ShenLong1
Summary: Heero is a Zoologist on a field assignment when he becomes trapped in a blizzard. His saviour comes in a very unusual form.


Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. I just borrow the guys from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. Written for pleasure not profit.

Pairing: 1x2x1, 3x4

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Angst, fluff, sap, yaoi, Lemon, AU

Summary: Heero is a Zoologist on a field assignment when he becomes trapped in a blizzard. His saviour comes in a very unusual form.

Written for the 2011 Gundam Wing Advent Calendar

"Christmas Miracle"

November 2011

ShenLong

"I think that's your call," Trowa said in his quiet tone. As if to confirm the softly spoken words, the public address system repeated the message.

"All passengers on board flight A21 to Ottawa please proceed to gate 3 for boarding."

Heero picked up his small back pack and stood up, his friend following suit. They walked in silence to the departure gate where they paused to say their farewells.

"Be careful up there," Trowa said.

"I will."

"Watch out for polar bears."

Heero snorted. "I have no intention of going anywhere near polar bears."

"Yeah, I know, but sometimes they will find you regardless." Trowa smiled. "Oh, Quatre said to keep an eye out for wayward reindeer too, and if you do come across Santa's home, put in a good word for him."

Rolling his eyes, Heero turned to his friend. "How many times do I have to tell you that Santa does not exist? It's a tale made up to get little children to behave themselves. There's no such thing as a fat man in a red suit that flies around the world in a sleigh pulled by reindeer."

"You and I might know that, but Quatre likes to believe," Trowa grinned.

Heero shook his head. "I'd best get going."

"Good luck with the study."

"Thanks. I'll let you know when I arrive in Ottawa, but I don't know if or when I'll be able to contact you again after that."

"It's okay, Heero. Just make sure you don't freeze to death out there. I'll see you in a year."

"Take care." Heero gave his best friend a one armed hug, shouldered his pack and headed for the gate.

Trowa watched until his friend had passed through and could no longer be seen. Turning around, he left the airport without looking back.

#

Heero arrived at Ottawa without incident and managed to locate his baggage with minimal fuss. Making his way across the terminal, he found the check-in desk for the charter flight to Ellesmere Island. Handing over his passport and relevant documentation, he was pleased to see that the weather was playing nice and the flight would be leaving on time. Noting he had at least two hours before take off, he found a small cafe and ordered a coffee, sitting down to drink the beverage and contact Trowa to let him know he'd arrived safely and all systems were go.

# # #

Raising the binoculars to his eyes, Heero scanned the barren landscape. The sun was warm on his back but not warm enough to take the chill out of the air. Spotting his 'prey', Heero adjusted the binoculars further to give him a much better view. He watched the fox and her kits playing in the snow, pausing from time to time to make notes in his book and snap the occasional photo.

Heero was in his final year of university, majoring in Zoology and had chosen the Arctic Fox to write his thesis on. Whilst there was quite a bit known about the fox itself, the numbers had been declining lately and Heero hoped to find out why that was happening.

The charter flight from Ottawa had taken him and several other scientists to Ellesmere Island, landing at the outpost of Eureka. From there Heero had traveled by helicopter to the tiny township of Alert where he'd set up his base amongst the military personnel and other scientists resident at the tiny outpost.

It wasn't unusual for scientists of the different sciences to be present on the base and no one took any notice of Heero and his reason for being there; that suited Heero just fine. He was a solitary person by nature and preferred to be by himself. His studies dominated most of his waking life and friends were few and far between. Trowa had been in Heero's life since they were in kindergarten together and was the only person Heero trusted. When Trowa hooked up with Quatre, the blonde also became a trusted friend.

Having set himself up in a remote area of the base, Heero had set out daily to try and locate the elusive Arctic Fox. He'd been lucky. After only three days of venturing out into the wilderness he'd managed to find a den of the creatures. So far he'd identified the parents and six kits within the den itself.

Continuing to watch the family playing, Heero didn't notice the slowly changing weather.

Another two hours passed, Heero intently taking notes and snapping the odd picture here and there when the vixen suddenly raised her head and gave a few, soft howls. Immediately the kits sat up and took notice. She howled again, the kits leaving their play and hurrying to their mother who promptly shepherded them into the den.

Heero lowered the binoculars and scratched his head. What would make the vixen suddenly call out to her young and hide them in the den? A cold chill swept down Heero's spine. The only thing he could think of to cause such a strong reaction would be the presence of a predator.

Swallowing roughly, Heero scanned around the immediate area but couldn't see anything to cause such fear. Picking up the binoculars, he scanned again. A cold knot of fear settled into his gut. On the horizon he could just make out the slowly moving form of a polar bear. It was still quite a distance away, but Heero knew he had to get out of there and fast.

Problem was, the bear was between him and his way back to the base at Alert.

"Shit!" Heero muttered. The only option he had now was to find somewhere to hide. Glancing back to where the fox den was, Heero gave a small sigh of relief. The den was close to a rocky outcrop and judging by the speed of the polar bear and distance it had yet to cover to get to him, he should have enough time to get to the outcrop and find himself a spot to wriggle into.

Wasting no further time, Heero stuffed his belongings into his back pack and hightailed it as quickly as he could to the rocky outcrop. Scrambling over the various rocks and stumbling through the snow, Heero at last found a reasonable size crevice he would be able to squeeze far enough into that should the polar bear find him, he wouldn't be able to get to him.

"Fuck you Trowa and your polar bears," he muttered as he wormed his way between the rocks. Jammed in tight, Heero made himself as comfortable as he could and took out the binoculars again. Another sweep of the area showed the bear still on track for the fox den and much closer now. The wind began to pick up, blowing icy cold through the rocks and sending Heero into a shivering fit. He pulled his parka tighter around his form and yanked another pair of mittens from inside his pack.

Another half an hour passed, the wind increasing in strength and starting to blow flurries of snow around and over Heero. He took out the binoculars again and scanned for the polar bear. It was hard to make out the creature in the curtain of snow, but eventually Heero deciphered the outline of the bear. It was doing its best to claw at the den opening, scenting food inside. Heero shuddered.

The snow started to fall faster, the thick flakes making sight almost impossible. The wind howled through the rocks, dumping flurries of snow on everything. Heero scanned the area again for the bear, but couldn't see anything. He daren't risk leaving the safety of the outcrop, but he knew he couldn't stay there for too much longer either. If he didn't get back to base soon he would freeze to death out here. The weather had changed and a full on blizzard was now raging across the landscape.

Tucking himself tighter into a ball to try and conserve heat, Heero hoped the blizzard would blow itself out pretty quickly. Slowly but surely the frigid air and dampness of the snow began to seep into his bones. His head began to feel muzzy, his eyes started to droop and despite his best attempts to keep himself awake, Heero slowly succumbed to the numbing, bitter cold.

# # #

"Over there looks like it could be a good spot, Dancer," Duo said lightly and gently guided the reindeer towards the rocky outcrop where a few, sparse trees defied the arctic winds. Bringing the reindeer and sleigh to a stop, he climbed out and began the task of scouring around for wood.

Scratching through the snow, the reindeer located a few brown blades of soggy grass and began to bite at them. They were quite bitter, but the reindeer didn't mind. With his master still busy locating firewood, Dancer scratched away at more of the snow, doing his best to locate more of the less than palatable grasses.

Duo walked over with an armload of firewood and deposited the branches into the back of the sleigh. "Don't wander too far, Dancer, it looks like we may be in for another blizzard," he warned the reindeer.

Dancer gave a soft snort and continued his search for food.

The pair worked diligently at their respective tasks, slowly but steadily the sleigh began to fill with wood and Dancer's stomach with the bitter grasses. The reindeer wandered closer to the rocks, hoping to find a little more grass amongst the boulders. Suddenly he stopped, nostrils flaring as he caught the scent of something. He inched a little closer, nostrils sniffing as he traced the scent. Suddenly he came to a stop, eyes wide. He grunted softly at the pile of snow between two rocks. When nothing happened he grunted again.

"Dancer? Where the heck are you?" Duo called, his arms full of wood and partially obscuring his vision.

The reindeer gave several louder grunts and soft squeals.

"Huh? What is it, Dancer?" Duo was on alert now, the change in the reindeer's behavior telling him there was something up. Dropping the pile of wood, he cautiously moved to where Dancer was looking. "It's a pile of snow," he chuckled.

The reindeer tossed his head and nudged Duo in closer.

"What? It's just snow, Dancer," Duo grumbled. "Hang on a minute," he mumbled a moment later when he spotted what looked like the tip of a boot just protruding through the snow. "Shit! It's a human," he exclaimed. "Jeeze, they're probably frozen to death." Duo began to scrabble at the snow, pushing it away from the body until he'd uncovered a young man.

The man was scrunched up, thick clothing covering his body, but it wasn't enough to keep out the bitter cold. Dancer nudged Duo with his nose.

"I dunno if he's still alive or not, buddy," Duo said to the reindeer. "I'll see if I can find a pulse, but I'll need to pull him out of there first."

With a lot of grunting and physical effort, Duo finally managed to drag the body out from between the rocks. He pulled the hood of the parker back to reveal a very pale face and messy, chocolate hair. There was a bluish tinge to the man's lips and his eyes were closed. Duo set his fingers to the man's throat and gave a relieved sigh when he felt the faint stirrings of a pulse.

"He's alive - barely. We gotta get him back and thawed out, Dancer."

The reindeer grunted.

Somehow Duo managed to half drag, half carry the young man to the sleigh, all thoughts of collecting more firewood forgotten. With the man now slumped on the seat of the small sleigh, Duo hopped in and took up the reins. "Home Dancer, as fast as you can if you please."

The reindeer snorted, ducked his head and took off at a flat out gallop.

# # #

Aching...

A cold, throbbing ache was the first thing Heero became aware of as he slowly returned to consciousness. He ached from head to toe, deep into his bones and his head throbbed. What had happened? Where was he? He tried to swallow, but his throat was as dry as sandpaper and felt like it was on fire.

He tried to open his eyes, but they were gummy and heavy. His ears seemed to be working okay though and he could faintly hear the sounds of something or someone moving about. He tried again to open his eyes, this time managing to get them pried apart a little bit. He coughed, pain lancing through his chest with the effort as muscles and bones screamed in agony at him. He vaguely remembered a polar bear and shuddered. The bear must have gotten him, how else could he explain the throbbing and aching of his body?

"Hey, you're awake."

Heero managed to get his eyes to open a little more and when they did he blinked rapidly. _'Polar __bears __didn't __talk. __Great, __now __I'm __hallucinating __as __well,' _he thought.

"It's okay, you're safe here. Think you could drink something?"

A cup appeared in his limited vision before disappearing. Moments later he felt it pressing at his lips and he opened his mouth on reflex. The liquid was warm, sweet and soothing to his throat. He sipped eagerly at the cup, drinking a small amount before the cup was taken away.

"How are you feeling?"

Heero blinked again, still unsure if he was dreaming or not. The figure before him seemed to be a male; at least the voice gave that impression. A warm, heart shaped face with unusual violet eyes gazed at him. A long rope of chestnut hair, pulled into a braid hung over one shoulder, but it wasn't the hair or the unusual eyes that caught Heero's attention. No, it was more the pointed ears and weird outfit that held his gaze.

"Who?" he tried to croak out.

A soft grin graced the other man's features. "I'm Duo. I was out collecting firewood when my reindeer, Dancer, spotted you wedged in some rocks. You were half frozen so I brought you back here to my home. What's your name?"

"Heero." Heero paused for a moment as his brain continued to thaw out before asking another question. "When?"

"Let's see, that would be five days ago now. I wasn't sure if you were going to pull through, but Dancer seemed to think you would and it looks like he was right."

"Where am I?" Heero's brain was slowly starting to come back on line, although his throat was still pretty dry and his voice came out scratchy.

"Here, drink a little more of this, it will help to thaw you out, soothe that throat and build up your reserves," Duo said, evading the question.

The cup was pressed back to Heero's lips and he sipped again at the warm, rich and soothing liquid. "What is it?"

"It's reindeer milk," Duo replied. "Very rich and has unbelievable healing properties."

Heero's confused mind scrambled to process the words. "But, you said your reindeer was a he."

"Yeah, Dancer is."

"Then, how?"

"Oh, it's simple enough. The female reindeers all gave a little bit." Seeing the eyebrow arch a touch, Duo continued. "They would be Dasher, Vixen, Cupid and Donner."

"And I assume the males are Dancer, Prancer, Comet and Blitzen?" Heero said in a sarcastic tone. He was sure he was hallucinating now, not just the pointed ears of this man, but now the reindeer as well?

"Yeah they are," Duo replied in an excited voice, the sarcasm going right over his head.

_'Yes, __definitely __hallucinating. __Either __that __or __this __man __is __seriously __delusional,' _he thought to himself.

"How did you know their names?"

"Oh, just a hunch," Heero said. _'Best __to __play __along __and __humor __this __person __until __he __knew __where __he __was __and __how __to __get __back __to __the __base __at __Alert,' _his mind told him. "Where am I?" he tried again.

This time Duo couldn't evade the question, but he did try. "Um, the North Pole."

Heero let an exasperated puff of air escape his lips. "I know I'm in the Arctic, I'm doing my thesis on the Arctic Fox. I remember observing a family of them when a polar bear appeared, then a blizzard set in and I don't remember anything after that. I'm staying at the base at Alert, and as far as I know, that's the last settlement out this way. So where am I?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Duo muttered under his breath. "You _are_ at the North Pole. I don't lie."

"Then if that's the case, this must be some sort of secret base and you are up to no good," Heero frowned, letting his imagination run away with him. Actually, it made sense to Heero. With Alert being the last outpost so to speak, then this place was most certainly a secret base of some sort. And if it was so secret, just what was it Duo was hiding? Deciding to change tactics for the moment, Heero tried to think of any other way he could get his information. His eyes were once again drawn to the pointed ears of his savior.

"What are you?"

"I'm Duo."

"Yes, I know your name, but _what_ are you? You look human, but not, not with those ears and certainly not wearing that get up."

"There is nothing wrong with my clothes," Duo huffed.

"I wasn't insinuating there was," replied Heero in a softer tone. If he wanted answers, he'd better watch his tone. A distant bell rang in the back of Heero's mind and his memory supplied him with a picture from his long ago childhood. "What I meant was, I haven't seen anyone dressed like you are since I was about six and my mom took me to the mall to sit on Santa's knee and he had these elves around him."

Duo's face colored a little as he tried to look anywhere but at Heero.

"But that's all just a lot of garbage. Santa doesn't exist and neither do his elves, it's all just a fictional story made up to get children to behave themselves," Heero stated.

Duo's head spun around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. "That's not true!" he blurted out.

Heero arched an eyebrow. "Really? So you're telling me that Santa does exist and also his elves?" He snorted. "What rot."

"Santa does exist and so do his elves. I should know, I'm one of them," Duo snapped back before he had a chance to engage his brain. "Ah, shit."

Heero laughed. "I think the snow and cold has frozen your mind."

"Look, I'm not supposed to talk about this to anyone, not that we really get anyone here, but I'm supposed to be sworn to secrecy. As you've already guessed though I suppose it's not breaking the rules if I do tell you, and I shouldn't get into any trouble for telling you as you seem to already know," Duo muttered.

"That doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Heero stated.

Duo sighed. "This might be a little difficult for you to understand and accept, but I don't lie and what I am about to tell you is the truth, I swear on Santa's hat."

Heero had managed to shuffle himself up a bit in the bed he was lying on and took a quick look around the place he was in before folding his arms across his chest and looking expectantly at Duo.

"Santa does exist and so do his elves. We live here at the north pole with Santa and Mrs. Claus-"

"I don't see any fat man in a red suit and this certainly doesn't look to be big enough to house more than a couple of elves at the most," Heero interrupted.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Duo snapped.

Heero shut up. He couldn't wait to hear what delusional things this 'elf' had to say. He smirked to himself.

"As I was saying, we live here with Santa, but I have my own little cottage just a little way from the main house right next to the stables. I look after the reindeer, keep them fit and healthy ready to pull Santa's sleigh each year to deliver the gifts to the good children. I _am_ an elf, I've always _been_ an elf and I always _will_ be an elf."

"Then why hasn't anyone found this place before?" Heero challenged.

"That's where the magic comes in."

"Magic?" Heero laughed. "Magic doesn't exist."

"Do not mock what you do not understand," Duo replied. "Trust me, magic does exist. It protects us all here at the North Pole, allows all the elves to help Santa make his gifts for the children and enables the reindeer to fly all around the world in one night to deliver those presents."

Heero continued to look skeptical, but decided against questioning the 'elf' further. He decided he'd be far better off just getting his sorry ass out of there and back to where he belonged and put all this hallucinating behind him. "Look, I'm grateful to you for helping me out, I owe you my life and I don't know how I can ever repay you for that. But I really should be getting back to where I belong. I have people, friends who will worry about me," Heero said and did his best to get out of the small bed.

"I don't think that's a good idea, you're still recovering," Duo began, but Heero ignored him.

He managed to get his legs out of the covers and swung them to the side of the bed, but when he went to stand up, the room began to spin, his knees buckled and his feet screamed in agony at him. A pair of strong arms caught him and gently lowered him back to the bed.

"Heero, not only were you almost frozen solid when Dancer found you, but I'm afraid your fingers and toes have suffered frostbite..."

Before Duo could say anything more, Heero interrupted. "Frostbite?" he whispered.

Duo nodded.

"Shit, no. That means..." Heero couldn't say it. He knew what frostbite could do, he'd heard about it and done a little research before leaving on his journey. If he had suffered frostbite to his fingers and toes that meant he would lose those digits. His heart felt like lead in his chest as the realization washed over him. "I'll lose my fingers and toes," he whispered.

Duo's smiling face appeared before him. "Not necessarily, Heero. I've already started to use my magic on healing you. Drinking the reindeer milk will also help in the healing process, but you need to stay here to completely recover."

"I told you, magic doesn't exist," Heero snapped, so lost in his misery he didn't see the flinch his harsh words caused.

Taking a deep breath, Duo reached forward and pulled one of Heero's hands from the blanket and cradled it gently in his own. Heero watched warily, his eyes unable to resist looking at his hand and fingers, even though he knew he would be sickened by what he saw. Duo gently eased the fingers out from the palm until Heero's hand was lying flat against his own. The fingers and thumb were looking decidedly blackish from the tips to the second knuckle, but if Duo noticed Heero blanch at the sight, he never let on. Instead, he began to run his own fingers gently along each of Heero's, the touch light and gentle. A warmth followed by a tingling spread along each finger in the wake of Duo's touch and Heero relaxed. His eyes opened wide when that tingling began to permeate right to the bones and the flesh began to heat up further. He watched in awe as the blackness began to fade just a little and along with it, the pain Heero had been feeling also receded a touch.

After a couple of minutes, Duo stopped and placed Heero's hand on the top of the blanket. His face was flushed and sweating, even the tips of his pointed ears were turning red. "They should feel a little better now," Duo panted.

"Wha – What did you do?" Heero whispered.

"I used my magic to help heal you. If I do that a couple of times each day then in about another week you should be healed up enough that you can leave."

Holding his hand up to his face, Heero could see a marked improvement in those fingers and he had to admit, he'd never seen anything like it before. "You really can use magic?"

Duo nodded, a tired smile on his face. "Yeah, I can, but it does drain me a bit."

"And we really are at the North Pole? You are an elf and there is such a thing as Santa Claus?"

Duo nodded again. "I told you, I don't lie."

"Well fuck me." Heero passed out.

# # #

Over the course of the next few days, Duo used his magic daily to help heal Heero's fingers and toes; combined with the reindeer milk, Heero was soon back to his usual self. Once the healing was complete and Duo allowed him out of bed, Heero was eager to explore this new world.

There wasn't really that much to explore. As Duo had told him, they were at the North Pole, snow and ice surrounded them from every point, the small cottage Duo lived in and the stables that housed the reindeer were the only visible break in the landscape of white. Knowing what Duo had said about Santa Claus supposedly living here too, he couldn't understand why that residence wasn't visible to him. He began to doubt Duo's tale, despite the reindeer and all the other things Duo had told him being visibly true. When he'd questioned Duo about the lack of evidence, Duo had laughed and told Heero it was the magic that prevented Heero from seeing Santa, the other elves and the workshop. Heero had looked skeptical again, but as Duo said, if Santa's home and workshop were able to be located and seen by anyone passing through the North Pole, then the poor man would be swamped with visitors, children and all the other paparazzi that went with being a celebrity. No, Santa preferred to remain hidden away, his exact location kept secret. He made his appearance once a year on Christmas Eve, and that was enough to keep the mystery surrounding him intact.

Each day Duo went out to tend to his duties in looking after the reindeer, but when he was finished, the pair of them spent a lot of time talking and learning all about each other. Heero discovered that Duo was a lot of fun to be with and had some interesting tales to tell. In return, Heero told Duo of his own life, his studies, dreams and hopes for the future.

The more Heero learned about the elf, the more he wanted to learn. Duo had a way about him that drew Heero out of himself. He'd never really had many friends, his devotion to his studies taking up most of his time and although he was a solitary person by nature, many people took his dedication to his work as arrogance and therefore didn't bother to try and make friends with the young man. Trowa and Quatre were about the only two people he could call friends.

Duo led a simple life, his small cottage holding all the elf needed to live his life. He seemed to find a genuine pleasure and delight in everything around him and once Heero was able to move about, Duo took time to share all the wonderful things that surrounded his home.

Meeting the reindeer was quite the experience. Heero had never been up close and personal with a reindeer before, but despite his misgivings - Duo assured him they wouldn't hurt him in any way – Heero reluctantly went with Duo one morning to help the elf feed the animals. He found himself being introduced to Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Dancer, the one that had found him. Dancer blinked at him with liquid, brown eyes and rubbed his muzzle against Heero's hand, Heero losing all sense of fear with that warm gesture. He ran his hand along the reindeer's neck and caressed gently behind the ears. Dancer melted into the touch.

As Heero's strength returned he assisted Duo more and more with his chores, even being persuaded to take a couple of the reindeer out in the sleigh for exercise and to gather wood for the constantly burning fire in Duo's home. The days continued to pass by, Heero noting them in the back of his mind but pushing them away as he wasn't ready to deal with things like that just yet.

Watching Duo cooking their supper one evening, Heero couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling that came over him whenever he was close to Duo. They had gotten close over the past couple of weeks and now shared Duo's bed each evening. It was nothing more than sleeping, two friends side by side sharing body warmth in the cold of the Arctic. More often than not, Heero would wake up with Duo wrapped around and over him. Not that he minded; actually, it felt damn nice! Duo had apologized profusely, but Heero had waved the apology off, telling Duo he really didn't mind. The elf was by nature a warm being and craved attention; the permission to snuggle Heero at night managed to transfer over into the day as well and Heero often found himself being given a hug from time to time or cuddling on the couch. It was something he could get used to.

The thought of having to leave, to return to his former life wasn't holding much appeal; and so Heero gave his life a serious amount of thought. During the long days he would often sit and think about his life as it was then, now and what the future held for him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized there wasn't really all that much waiting for him; but here, here with Duo he felt perfectly at home. It came as no shock to him when he realized he'd fallen in love with the violet eyed elf.

He wanted to stay.

If Duo would have him.

But he still had friends who cared about him, who would worry about what had become of him and Heero didn't want his friends to spend the rest of their lives wondering about what had happened.

Sitting close together on Duo's small couch and enjoying each others company one evening, Heero knew he couldn't put off the inevitable any longer. Feeling the ache in his chest as he tried to come up with the words he needed to say, Heero felt as if his entire world was about to change yet again. "Duo?"

"Hmmm?" Duo was snuggled up against Heero's side as was the norm for the evening.

"I need to talk to you."

Duo shifted to look into Heero's eyes and a worried feeling passed through him. He wasn't too sure what Heero was about to say and he could only hope it wasn't going to be something he didn't want to hear. "I'm listening."

"Duo, these past few days I've been doing a lot of thinking, thinking about my life and where it is going, where I want it to go. Duo, I owe you my life, if you hadn't come collecting your firewood that day I surely would have frozen to death. I really appreciate what you did for me then and since, and I can't ever repay you for that. But I have people back at the base at Alert that must be wondering what happened to me. They would have been searching, looking for me. I also have friends back home that will be worried about me."

"I know, Heero. I've known all along that you would have to return, but I was hoping you would stay," Duo interrupted, his tone laced with sadness.

"Yes, no, Duo, let me finish. I don't want to leave, I want to stay here with you, forever." Seeing the confusion in Duo's eyes, Heero tried again to explain himself better. "There's nothing waiting for me back in my old life and over these past few days, I've come to realize that I don't want to go back to what I was. Duo, I've fallen in love with you and I want to stay here with you, you make me happy, I love being here with you, spending time with you, doing everyday things with you. I want you in my life, I couldn't bear to be parted from you, not now, not after all I've experienced these last few weeks. Duo, can I stay, will you let me?" Heero's voice had taken on an almost pleading tone.

It took a few moments for Heero's words to register in Duo's mind, but when they did, his face lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. "Of course you can stay. I'd love nothing more than having you here with me forever. I'm sure Santa won't mind, he's already said you can stay as long as you need to." A shy look graced the elf's features. "I think I've fallen in love with you too, Heero," he said quietly.

Heero's lips curled into a warm smile and he pulled the elf close, wrapping him up in his strong arms and pressing a kiss to that reddened cheek. "I _will_ need to let my friends know somehow that I'm okay, it wouldn't be fair to leave them wondering what has happened to me."

"I understand. How can we tell them though?"

"I thought that maybe I could go back to the outskirts of the base at Alert and leave my backpack there for them to find. I'll write a letter to my friends and the people at the base to let them know I'm okay but I won't be returning."

"That sounds like a good idea, but I'll come with you."

"No, Duo. It wouldn't be safe for you. If anyone were to see you they would try to catch you and that's the last thing I want." Heero shuddered at the thought of what would happen to Duo if any of the scientists at the base got a hold of him.

"I can take care of myself, Heero," Duo informed. "I can use my magic to keep me invisible to those humans, but if we're only going to the outskirts then I can't see anything dangerous happening. You will need me anyway to bring you back here. There's no way you will ever be able to find this place without me or magic."

Duo did have a point there, Heero conceded. "Okay."

"When were you thinking of doing this?"

"The sooner the better is probably the best option. How about tomorrow?"

"That sounds okay to me. Tomorrow morning I'll harness Dancer up and take you back to where I found you which isn't too far from the place you were based at. You can go on a little closer to the base from there and leave your pack with the letters for them to find," Duo said.

Working purely on instinct, Heero wrapped his arms tighter around Duo and cuddled him close. "Thank you, for everything," he said softly and pressed a gentle kiss to Duo's cheek. Duo turned his head so their lips met and pressed a gentle kiss of his own to Heero's lips.

# # #

"The base should be a couple of kilometers that way," Duo said as Dancer stopped by the rocky outcrop he'd found Heero half frozen in just over a fortnight ago.

"Thank you," said Heero as he climbed out of the sleigh. He walked up to Dancer and patted the reindeer. "Thank you too, Dancer." The reindeer grunted softly and nuzzled Heero's gloved hand. Turning, Heero picked his pack up from the sleigh and faced his savior. "I'll head over there a little way to where the main track is and leave my back pack there. Someone is bound to find it soon." Before he could lose his nerve, Heero tilted his head and pressed a chaste kiss to Duo's lips. "I'll be back shortly."

Duo watched him go, his lips tingling from the all too brief kiss. "I'll be waiting right here," he called out to the walking form that was soon swallowed up in the gently falling snow.

Heero found the well worn trail and picked a spot to leave his pack. Crouching down he checked that the two letters were safely inside. He sincerely hoped that Trowa and Quatre would forgive him for not returning, but his heart lay here with Duo. Knowing his friends as he did, he was pretty sure they would wish him nothing but happiness. Thinking about Trowa and Quatre brought a tear to his eye and he took a moment to wipe it away. That's when he heard the voices and before he could react, five figures appeared out of the curtain of falling snow.

The figures spotted Heero and closed in quickly, each of them just as surprised as the other to suddenly come across the young man that had been missing for almost three weeks. They grabbed him before he could move and talking amongst themselves in a language Heero wasn't familiar with, began to drag him back in the direction of the base.

Heero struggled to break free, crying out 'No!' as he was bodily hauled along. All he could think of was Duo. He fought harder, doing his best to free himself.

Waiting in the sleigh, Duo heard the voices and quickly cast his magic to make himself and the reindeer invisible. He heard the shouts of exclamation, caught Heero's cry of 'No! and his heart fell to his boots. He urged the reindeer forward to see what was happening. His blood ran cold in his veins as he watched the five men dragging Heero away.

"No!" Heero cried again. "Duo!" he screamed and then his world went black as one of the men applied pressure to the point in his neck.

Duo could do nothing but watch helplessly as Heero was dragged away from him. He couldn't risk being found himself, not only would that be disastrous for him, but also for Santa and the other elves. Heero's anguished calling of his name tore Duo's heart in two. "Heero!" he cried back, but the only reply he got was silence.

Cautiously, Duo guided the reindeer in the direction the men were taking Heero. He got out and stood by Dancer's head watching as the men approached the base and disappeared inside. Unable to venture any closer lest he be discovered, Duo could do nothing but stand and watch as the man he'd fallen in love with was taken from him.

"I promise I will find you, Heero," he whispered. With a heavy heart and tears falling from his eyes he climbed back into the sleigh, Dancer moving swiftly to take them back home.

# # #

"I'm really worried about him," Quatre said softly when Heero was out of earshot.

"I am too," Trowa replied, a frown marring his features. "He's just not himself anymore and I don't know what to do to help him."

"He's hardly touched his food – again." Quatre stood up and retrieved their plates, Heero's plate still full, and carried them through to the kitchen.

Filling the sink with hot water, Trowa continued to ponder his friend's state of mind and behavior. "He's just not been himself since he got back. I know it must have been quite an ordeal for him, being lost out there for three weeks, but I thought he would have started to show more of his normal attitude by now."

"The doctor did say it could take some time for him to get back to himself as we know him," Quatre said.

"Yeah, I know, but it's been two months, Quatre. It will be Christmas in another four weeks." Trowa thought back to when Heero had returned. The news that their friend had been found safe and well had come as quite a shock to them both. When they had been notified of Heero's missing status, both men had been understandably frantic with worry. As the days passed and still no word on Heero they began to lose hope of Heero returning alive. The Arctic wasn't the best place in the world to be lost in. It was the not knowing what had happened that got to them both and as the days turned into weeks, they had resigned themselves to never seeing Heero alive again or ever having closure. To get the news out of the blue that Heero had been found safe and well had really knocked them for six.

The doctors at the base at Alert had checked Heero over thoroughly and couldn't understand how he'd managed to survive in such a hostile environment for so long. Heero hadn't told them anything either, stubbornly remaining silent. Once he'd returned home he'd again been subjected to an intense physical, a battery of tests and psyche evaluations. Nothing further could be added to the findings of the previous doctors, other than the psychiatrist report stating it was their professional opinion that Heero had suffered some major, emotional or mental trauma which had caused his mind to shut down to protect itself and given time, he would recover. Heero had been allowed to go home with strict instructions to rest for a couple of weeks.

Trowa and Quatre had picked their friend up and taken him home with them. The doctor warned that Heero was not the same man he had been and whilst it was a miracle that he was physically as well as he was, the mind was a funny thing and would take much longer to come to terms - if ever – with what he'd gone through. Quatre had tried a few times as had Trowa to get the stoic man to open up, tell them what had happened, but each time Heero's eyes had turned sad and he'd refused to speak of his ordeal, staring off into the distance at images only he could see.

"He's losing far too much weight," Quatre remarked as he dried the washed dishes.

"I know. He's also withdrawing more and more into himself. I'm afraid if we can't reach him soon, we might lose him forever," Trowa stated in a worried tone.

Heero sat in his room staring out the window at the softly falling snow. His eyes didn't register the snowflakes though, all he could see were brilliant violet eyes and a cheeky smile. His heart was shredded, knowing he would never see his beloved elf again. He'd thought many a time about returning to the Arctic, finding himself a sleigh and team of dogs or a reindeer to search for Duo's cottage, but deep in his mind he knew it wouldn't happen. Duo had told him he would never find the place again by himself, it was protected by magic. He would most likely freeze to death whilst searching.

In one way, Heero thought that might not be a bad idea. He knew he was slowly pining away here with his friends, so to go back would only speed up the inevitable. If he couldn't have Duo then his life wasn't worth living anyway. A soft knock to his door had him turning his head.

Quatre opened the door and stepped inside. "Heero? I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but I really need to talk to you." Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer, Quatre made his way over to the bed Heero was sitting on and took up a position beside him. He followed Heero's gaze out the window and thought for a moment before clearing his throat and speaking again.

"Heero, I know that something happened to you when you were out there and whilst I know it's going to take time for you to get over it, I wish you would tell us what it is. Trowa and I are worried sick about you, you don't eat, you won't talk, you're simply sitting here day after day and wasting away. Heero, I can't sit back and watch you do this to yourself. Please, tell me what happened, how I can help? It's killing me to see you like this." Quatre didn't expect to get anything from his friend, he'd already tried many times to get Heero to open up – and failed – but he couldn't sit by either and watch as his friend slowly faded away.

Heero studied Quatre's concerned face from the corner of his eye. With a jolt he realized just how much his friends were hurting too, that he was the reason for their sadness. He fought an inner battle with himself; should he tell them? They wouldn't believe him anyway. But knowing how deep he'd sunk into his depression and that living without Duo wasn't possible, he figured he wouldn't have to live with the embarrassment of his friends thinking he'd finally lost his marbles for long anyway so he may as well.

Turning his head, his blue eyes met with Quatre's concerned gaze and he opened his mouth. "Quatre..." His voice came out hoarse and raspy from disuse.

Quatre's eyes opened wider. His heart leapt in his chest and a smile blossomed over his face. "Let me get you a glass of water," he said softly. Seeing the nod, Quatre jumped up and shot out into the bathroom to fetch the water. Calling for Trowa and quickly telling his partner that Heero finally seemed to be coming to his senses, the pair went back into Heero's room.

Heero hadn't moved from his position, his eyes staring out into the falling snow once more. The glass of water appeared under his nose, Heero's eyes looking up to see Quatre there, a smile on his face as he handed over the water. Taking it, Heero swallowed a few mouthfuls and turned to face his two closest friends. Thinking for a moment,he decided on his words and with a determined look in his eye, opened his mouth and began to speak.

Trowa and Quatre sat side by side on the bed and listened. Neither man interrupted, keeping any and all questions for when Heero had finished. When Heero began to tell them about Duo, his disbelief at the other man being an elf and also one of Santa's elves, they shared his skepticism. As Heero's tale progressed, both Trowa and Quatre felt the pain in their own hearts.

At last, Heero was done. He'd spilled the entire story to his friends and now awaited their judgment. Tears coursed down his cheeks, his heart aching fiercely with the thoughts of Duo and what his love was doing now. Glancing warily at his friends, Heero was surprised to find them both looking back at him with compassion and understanding, not scorn or disgust as he'd expected.

Both his friends were sympathetic to his situation and spent several hours just sitting and talking. As they did, Heero opened up more and it was evident to his two friends that the man was clearly hopelessly in love with his elf and completely at a loss as to how to go back to Duo. The day passed into night with Trowa and Quatre each trying to come up with a way to get Heero reunited with the love of his life, but every suggestion was written off as Heero pointed out that without Duo or magic, he would never find the elf or his residence again. Having exhausted every possibility and themselves in the process, they thought they better call it a night and get some much needed rest. They could try again to find a solution in the morning. Having bade each other goodnight, Quatre was about to climb under the covers with Trowa when his tired mind suddenly smacked him with an idea.

"That's it!" he cried and shot out of the bed again, hell bent on getting to the door and returning to Heero's room.

"What is?" called Trowa, startled by his lover's sudden leap for freedom. Seeing the blonde not about to stop, Trowa grumbled as he got out of the bed and followed his wayward lover to Heero's room.

"It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it before," Quatre's voice was saying as Trowa entered Heero's room, the blue eyed man also looking a little like the deer caught in the headlights.

"Quatre, will you please calm down and tell us what it is that has you so excited?" Trowa asked as he took up his vacated position of earlier on Heero's bed.

"I know how we can find this elf and get Heero reunited with him. It's really easy."

Heero tried not to look too hopeful.

"It's Christmas in another four weeks, right?" Two heads nodded in affirmation. "What do all children do before Christmas?"

"Errr... Behave themselves?" Heero said.

"Yes, they do, but that's not the answer. What else do they do?"

"Spend exorbitant amounts of money buying presents?" Trowa guessed. That comment earned him a scowl from his lover. Trowa shrugged.

"No, they write a letter to Santa," Quatre stated and looked smug, as if he'd just solved the puzzle of life, the universe and everything. When a pair of blue and green eyes looked back at him clearly confused, Quatre sighed. "Look, if what Heero said about Santa being real is true, then all we have to do is have Heero write a letter to Santa, asking if he can return to Duo."

It took a couple of minutes for the words to register, but when they did, Heero's face showed the first hint of a smile. "You know, that just might work."

"Put it this way, Heero, you have nothing to lose," Trowa said.

Not wanting to wait until the morning, Heero dragged himself out of the bed and located a pen and paper. With assistance from Quatre who had that way with words, the letter was duly written, folded up and secured in an envelope. With the words 'To Santa, Care of the North Pole' emblazoned on the front, Heero set the letter aside to be posted in the morning and the three men eventually crawled back to their beds.

# # #

Stroking his beard, Santa carefully read the letter in his hand once more. A cup of tea appeared at his elbow and he looked up into the smiling face of his wife. "Thank you," he said and set the letter aside.

Taking a seat opposite the jolly man, Mrs. Claus noted the distracted air. "What is it?" she asked.

Santa explained the letter and the strange request to his wife, the woman smiling back at him. "You know what is the right thing to do," she said softly.

Santa nodded and stroked his beard again. "I know young Duo hasn't been himself for quite some time now."

"Positively miserable," Mrs. Claus stated.

"That's an understatement." Both Santa and his wife were fully aware of the situation between the kindly elf and the human he'd rescued and they both felt for him when he'd returned without Heero and in a state of despair. Since Heero's leaving, Duo had fallen into depression, his cheery smile had gone, his happy disposition replaced with an air of despondency and he no longer chatted to anyone. He still continued to look after the reindeer and carry out his other chores, but his heart was slowly dying. Unfortunately, there hadn't been anything Santa could do. He couldn't just visit Heero and whisk the man away from his life to bring him back here, it was against the rules. In fact, no human had ever been inside the realm of Santa's home and workshop until Heero. For Heero to return, it had to be his choice – and now it seemed that Santa had been granted the miracle he'd been hoping for.

Turning to face his wife, the grin on the white haired man's face was huge. "This is one present I'm really going to look forward to giving."

"Are you going to tell Duo?"

"No. I don't want to spoil the surprise."

# # #

Christmas Eve rolled around and although Heero helped his friends to decorate the house and had even been persuaded to go Christmas shopping with them, his heart wasn't in it. He hated Christmas now. It reminded him too much of what he'd lost. His letter had been posted but he'd heard nothing at all by way of acknowledgment that it had even been received. Quatre had laughed when Heero admitted he'd expected some form of reply.

"It's Christmas, Heero. Santa's way too busy to reply to letters. Just imagine the amount of mail he gets from all over the world. If he were to try and reply to each one then he'd never be able to get the toys and things made," Quatre said

Although he knew what Quatre said to be true, Heero couldn't help but hope that Santa had gotten his letter and would reply. It would appear that Heero was destined to never see his love again. With a heavy heart, Heero crawled into his bed on Christmas Eve.

#

"Thank you, Duo," said Santa as he heaved his bulk into the laden sleigh. "The reindeer are all well?"

"Yes sir," replied Duo and absently patted Dancer's neck. His normally happy smile and excitement when his charges were due to fly out was missing.

"Then I'd best not waste any more time, it's short enough as it is. Cheer up, Duo, it's Christmas."

Pained violet eyes looked into the twinkling gray ones of Santa. "I'm sorry, I just..." Duo sighed and turned back to the reindeer. "Be good, all of you. I'll be waiting here for you when you get back." Turning, Duo walked away, not wanting Santa or any of the other elves to see the tears in his eyes. His ears picked up on the jingle of the bells as the reindeer began to surge forward and despite himself he glanced back to see them sprint forward and sail into the air. "I wish, I wish that for once I could have what I want for Christmas," he whispered.

#

Heero had finally fallen into a restless sleep, although even in sleep he wasn't granted the reprieve of missing his elfin partner. His dreams of violet eyes, cheery laugh and pointed ears tormented and teased him, constantly reminding him of what he'd lost. Something registered in his subconscious and slowly he began to awaken. Blinking sleepy eyes he wondered what had woken him and heard a faint noise. Instantly he was fully awake and sliding from the bed. Pausing to grab his robe, he eased his bedroom door open and listened again.

The sounds of someone moving about in the lounge room graced his ears and stealthily, he crept towards the source of the sounds. Pausing to pick up a large paperweight from the hall stand, he crept towards the lounge room on silent feet. Reaching the doorway, he took a deep breath and reached around the jamb for the light switch. He flipped it on, rushing into the room with the paperweight held high in his hands and a lot more courage than he felt, crying out, "Freeze!" When his eyes noted what he was seeing, he dropped the paperweight in shock.

Standing by the fireplace, sack in one hand, Quatre's Christmas stocking in the other, stood a large man in a red suit. His gray eyes twinkled behind wire rimmed glasses and as he turned, his mouth opened to speak. "Hello, Heero. I had hoped not to wake you just yet."

Standing in mute shock, Heero couldn't find any words to reply. The sounds of running feet brought him back quickly as Trowa and Quatre, having been awoken by Heero's yell, came running into the room and promptly screeched to a stop, almost colliding with Heero.

"What the?" Trowa said as he blinked rapidly. Quatre joined Heero in standing in mute shock.

With a sigh, Santa lowered his eyes before speaking. "I guess I should explain a few things?"

"Umm, that's quite alright, you don't need to explain anything, I mean, you are Santa which gives you the right to enter peoples' homes when delivering presents," Quatre said when he'd located his vocal chords.

"That is true to a point, but in this case, there's another reason why I'm here. Would you mind if I took a seat and explained? These bones of mine aren't as young as they used to be," replied Santa with a smile.

"Yes, yes of course. Please, be seated. Can I get you something? Milk and cookies?" Quatre replied, his manners also returning.

"No, thank you. I have more than enough of the milk and cookies," Santa said with a pat to his round middle. Getting himself comfortable, Santa looked to his audience and began. "Aside from the obvious," he began with a wave to the now stuffed stockings adorning the hearth, "There is another reason I'm here. Heero, you sent me a letter..."

#

Duo was sound asleep in his cottage when Santa returned and didn't wake when the door to his cottage opened and a silent figure slipped in. Blue eyes took in the sight of his elf, the one he thought he would never see again and his heart leapt for joy. On silent feet, Heero padded across the room to the side of the bed, discarding his clothes as he went and lifted the covers. Carefully he slipped under them and snuggled closer to the warm body of the elf.

Duo was lost in his dreams, it was the only escape he had where he could remember his love and relive the time they had spent together. He recalled how warm Heero had felt snuggled up to him in bed and instinctively reached for the body that was no longer there. A soft moan escaped his lips when he connected with warmth. His mind tried to tell him that a solid form didn't exist in his dreams, but Duo told his logic to take a hike. This was his dream and he intended to fully enjoy it. His lips were gently caressed with a kiss of pure love and longing and despite his sleeping state, Duo's lips responded to the kiss.

"Uh.." he murmured. _I __really __must __be __losing __it, __a __dream __kiss __never __felt __that __real_. Another caress to his lips and Duo began to surface from his darkness. As he did, so he became aware of a warm body entangled with his own, hot breath ghosted over his face and a steady heartbeat sounded in his ears. Blinking his eyes, Duo opened them slowly, to stare into a pair of cobalt blue ones he never thought he would see again. "H- H- Heero?"

"Duo," Heero breathed, the love shining in those blue oceans and he swept in for another kiss.

Now Duo knew for sure he wasn't dreaming. "Heero! It's really you!" he cried when the kiss broke. His face lit up, arms wound themselves around Heero's upper body as legs entwined with Heero's hips and torso, securing the man in a strong embrace, one that wasn't likely to be broken if Duo had his way. "But, how? Where?"

"Hush, I'll explain everything. Oh, Duo, I've missed you so much." Heero stole another kiss and then went on to explain about how he'd been grabbed by the Alert personnel, checked over and sent back home, his anguish at having left Duo and his desire to return. He explained the reason why he'd not come back to find Duo, something Duo fully understood and went on to tell the elf how in a final bid of desperation he'd written a letter to Santa.

"I woke up when I heard a noise and discovered Santa in the house. We talked and he said you had also been fading away, that you were miserable like me. He asked me if I really wanted to come back." Heero smiled, "I was packed and in that sleigh before Santa could get himself out of the chair."

"This is real, isn't it? Not some fantasy my mind has made up?" asked Duo as his fingers caressed Heero's cheek, reassuring himself that Heero was solid.

"Yes, it's real. I'm back and I don't ever intend to leave again."

Duo whimpered softly and burrowed into the warmth of Heero's arms, his lips began to kiss every available part of exposed flesh he could find, reassuring himself that Heero was indeed, real.

The kisses began to send shivers down Heero's spine, he moaned softly, letting his own lips come forth and taste the elf's skin. Hands began to roam, caressing and touching, stroking soothing patterns on creamy skin. The heat in the room began to build as the pair got to know each other again. The caresses began to take on a bolder touch. Heero tracing his fingers over the smooth skin of Duo's chest and finding a nipple. He toyed with the small nub, soft whimpers and moans coming from Duo's mouth telling him that his touch was welcomed.

Feeling his body warming and stirring as his blood began to heat up, Duo wasn't idle with his own hands. Returning the touches he stroked a fire to Heero's chest and similarly toyed with a caramel nipple. Not content to leave it at that and yet unsure of what he was doing or wanted, Duo let his instincts take over and guide him. He lowered his mouth to Heero's chest and sucked a nipple into his mouth.

"Oh, yes," Heero hissed out. The flush of arousal spread through his system, the blood traveling south to lodge in his groin. With that sweet mouth on his nipple, Heero began to work his own hand down Duo's body. He traced small circles over the taut abdomen, delighting in the shiver of the muscles beneath the skin. He came up against the barrier of Duo's underwear but didn't let it stop him. He could feel Duo's hardness pushing against his thigh, taste the heat of excitement in the air as it radiated off the elf's body. Fingers ghosted over the rigid length, the touch electric and causing Duo's hips to push forward.

A soft gasp escaped the elf's mouth with that first, tentative touch and his hips moved on reflex. Idly he wondered if Heero was built the same and decided to discover the answer for himself. With his head still nuzzling Heero's chest, Duo sent his hand and fingers on an exploration of Heero's body. Those fingers traveled southwards, always stroking, the touch feather light until they came up against the silk of Heero's boxers. Duo moaned again when he let his fingers run over that steely length. It felt hot and hard and Duo wanted more.

"Let me make love to you, Duo," Heero breathed.

"Please," came the whimpered reply.

Swooping in, Heero stole another kiss, one that left them both panting and delirious with need. His hand slipped under Duo's underwear, hooking his fingers at the waistband and gently easing them from the elf's hips. Duo assisted with the removal as best he could, his body shivering in excitement. Heero managed to lose his own boxers and pressed their naked bodies together as he partook of another kiss. Breaking for air, Heero gazed down at his lover, the elf glowing back at him. Duo was exquisite, his milky skin flushed with his arousal, violet eyes sparking and body fairly thrumming with the love of life. Aside from the pointed ears, Duo was exactly the same as himself. A small moan escaped as Heero once more began to worship the elf's skin.

Hands roamed over bodies, learning the different textures of the skin, what felt good and what didn't. Duo's hand located Heero's groin and explored the new territory with enthusiasm. Likewise, Heero's hand drifted through the soft, curls at Duo's groin, hand closing around the rigid length he found and stroking. Beneath him, Duo began to pant, the precome leaking steadily from his cock. After tormenting the elf for a short while, Heero let his hand drift lower and ran his fingers over the swollen balls. He caressed them gently, rolling them in his palm and enjoying the soft moans coming from his lover's mouth. Between his own legs, his cock stood firm and proud, Duo's small hand stroking him and adding to his pleasure.

Dipping behind the sac, Heero's fingers teased across the sensitive perineum, chuckling as Duo's body reacted to the touch. He found the base of that crevice and started to run his fingers along the cleft, steadily working his way towards that sweet hole. Finding what he sought, Heero's finger circled the tiny entrance, the sensations traveling through Duo's body and causing him to arch and writhe. Before the elf could get too lost in the pleasure, Heero stopped and shifted. Violet eyes cracked open as his pleasure ceased.

"Why'd you stop?" Duo asked, clearly confused.

"I need lube, something slippery to make this easier, otherwise it will hurt and I don't want to cause you any pain," Heero replied.

"Ah." The understanding dawned on Duo. A mischievous grin lit up the elf's face a moment later and Heero gave him a wary look. Before he could question what Duo was up to, the elf closed his eyes and concentrated. Heero could feel the tingle in the air and then it was gone and a smiling Duo was looking at him.

"What did you do?" Heero asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer or not.

"Ah, magic, Heero," Duo whispered huskily and taking Heero's hand, he guided those fingers back to his crevice.

Duo's cleft was now slick and slippery, Heero wasting no time in slipping a finger inside his love's channel. "Neat trick," he stated as he eased a second finger inside and began to wriggle them around.

"Sometimes it's handy to have magic," Duo moaned and then cried out as his hips shot into the air. "By all things snowy, that felt good. Do it again," he demanded.

Chuckling to himself, Heero continued to work his fingers in and out of Duo's body, stroking the elf's prostate from time to time. As Duo loosened up, his fingers slid in and out much more easily and Heero was fighting a losing battle with his own body. Removing his fingers, He wiped them over his rock hard cock, spreading the slipperiness around.

Lidded violet eyes watched as Heero coated himself with the lubricant from Duo's channel that Duo had magically created. "Make love to me," he begged.

Rolling Duo completely on his back and pushing his knees up, Heero sank between the elf's spread thighs and positioned himself at that small entrance. He lowered his lips and shared a tender kiss, breaking it and resting his forehead against Duo's. "I love you, Duo, I'm so glad I could come back to you."

"Love you too, Heero. I'm so happy you are back and I'm never going to let you go."

"Ready for me?"

"Please."

Pressing the crown against that small hole, Heero gently and carefully pushed forward. The muscles, whilst loose, were still quite tight and offered some resistance. Gradually his cock breached the opening and slid slowly and tortuously into Duo's welcoming sheath. Once he was fully seated, he paused for a moment to try and regain his control.

"That feels wonderful," Duo groaned from beneath.

"This should feel even better," Heero breathed out and began to withdraw.

Slowly, Heero retreated and then pushed forth again. The action was repeated and with each thrust, Duo's body relaxed further and the muscle stretched to accommodate him. Soon Heero found his rhythm and began to snap his hips. Underneath, Duo's hips rose to meet him, hip to hip, thrust for thrust. Long, slender legs wrapped around Heero's waist allowing him deeper penetration. Duo's head was tossed back as his nerves came alive, the sensations driving him to near madness with the pleasure.

Heero angled his hips slightly and found Duo's prostate once more, the elf screaming out his pleasure to the walls of the cottage. Feeling his lover's body tensing and trembling beneath him, Heero managed to work a hand between their bellies and locate Duo's cock. Grasping the organ he began to pump his lover in time with his thrusts.

"Ahhh, by all that is Christmas, that's so good," Duo groaned.

Feeling his own end fast approaching, Heero redoubled his efforts to bring Duo to climax. His hips pounded into the warmth that enveloped him, his hand firmly stroking the leaking organ it held, all the time doing his best to strike Duo's prostate as often as he could.

"Ah, gonna..." Duo's eyes went glassy, his body shook and trembled almost violently as his seed spurted from the tip to coat Heero's hand and his own belly.

With Duo's fall into nirvana, Heero was soon to follow. The heat in that sheath grew, the channel rippling and spasming around him. Added to that was a burst of pure magic from Duo's climax and that sent Heero spiraling into oblivion. He managed another two thrusts before the tingling started in his head and traveled the full length of his body. His seed shot from his cock and into the depths of Duo's body, each wave of his orgasm more intense than the last until Heero had no more to give.

He collapsed against Duo, the elf dropping his legs to the side and holding Heero close to his chest. The afterglow of their orgasms swam through them, each one content to simply lie there and savor the feeling.

Finally, Heero began to move, pushing himself from the elf to lie at his side, his softened cock slipping from Duo's body to lie sated upon his thigh. Instantly Duo gathered him up in a warm embrace and kissed him soundly.

"Thank you, Heero. That was incredible."

"You were incredible," Heero murmured back and nuzzled the sweet throat.

They lay in silence for a while, the sounds of the wind and snow falling outside their only companion. Each was lost in their own thoughts and yet completely content.

Pressing a kiss to Duo's temple, Heero finally broke the silence. "Merry Christmas, Duo."

Duo responded by taking Heero's lips in a tender kiss.

"Now my Christmas is complete."

Owari


End file.
